


A Heart of Gold

by VillainsbeFab



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, More tags in the future, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-27
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-04-23 15:33:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4882192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VillainsbeFab/pseuds/VillainsbeFab
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hunith and Balinor are warned of their newborn son's destiny. That he could be the one to unite the world or the one to tear it apart. Fearing that their son might bring about darkness in the world, they raise him to be kind, gentle and compassionate. But destiny has its way of fulfilling itself, whether for good or not.</p><p>All was well, until Merlin met Arthur Pendragon.</p><p>*UNDER DRASTIC REWRITE"<br/>Don't worry, the story will still be the same, I just improved the writing methods :) I felt like the previous version just didn't do any justice to my original ideas for this work. It also looked rushed, because I cared about updating the story rather than actually improving it. I'm sorry if my update disappointed anyone :( .</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Destiny Awaits

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a little fic I've been thinking about for ages. I wanted to do some multi-chapters instead of just settling for one-shots. 
> 
> Magic in this fic is accepted by most of the society, save for some radical groups who think it should be a crime to possess such.

It was a warm night in the middle of June when it happened. Hunith had gone into labor and every available nurse nearby had gotten out of their way to assist Dr. Alice Healy. Balinor was anxiously waiting outside the delivery room, heart pounding as he hears his wife’s cry of pain every time she attempts to push.

“That’s it Hunith! Just a few more tries. You’re doing well.” Dr. Healy assured her.

Suddenly, the lights flickered. At first it was faint and barely noticeable, but then it gradually became frequent. It worried the staff, as it would affect their nearby apparatuses. Outside the delivery room, Balinor became uneasy. He knew what those flickering lights meant. He just wished he was wrong.

“Get the technicians to fix this and if they can’t, just turn on the back-up generator. We can’t risk having a black-out even for a short while. Too many patients!” Dr. Healy ordered a nearby nurse before turning back to Hunith.

“Almost there!” Sefa told Dr. Healy from the end of the bed.

“Alright dear, one more.” Dr. Healy said to Hunith.

Hunith gave it her all and pushed. The flickering of lights became rapid, but as it ended as soon as it started. Hunith felt tired and fell back to the bed, her grip on the doctor’s hand loosened. From Sefa’s end of the bed, a loud wailing can be heard.

“It’s a boy!” Sefa cried out. Dr. Healy let out a sigh of relief for the delivery was a success. They cut the umbilical cord and immediately took the boy for washing. Hunith, meanwhile, was transferred to a private room. Balinor waited outside the room for a short while. Finally, Dr. Healy emerged from it and Balinor immediately approached her.

“How is she?” he asked, still worried and anxious.

Dr. Healy smiled at him “She’s doing well. Congratulations, you’re now a father of a healthy baby boy.”

Balinor’s smile seemed to have reached his ears and his eyes welled up in tears of joy.

“Thank you.” He said with sincere gratefulness to Dr. Healy.

“Oh, it’s nothing really. It’s my duty to help people.” Dr. Healy replied with a warm smile “You can go see her now.

Balinor thanked her one more time and then proceeded to enter the room, where Hunith was sitting up in bed.

At the sight of her husband, she immediately smiled.

“Hunith, my love, how are you?” Balinor asked.

“I’m fine.” Hunith assured him as she took his hand.

A knock on the door drew their attention.

“Come in.” Balinor permitted.

Sefa came in with a blanket-wrapped bundle in her arms. She smiled as she neared the bed.

“Mr. and Mrs. Emrys, I present to you your son.” She handed the bundle.

Wrapped with the blanket was a sleeping infant with adorably large ears sticking out from his head. Thin wisps of raven hair contrasted to his snow white skin.

“My baby.” Hunith was near tears “My beautiful baby.”

“Those ears though, it almost makes him look like an elephant.” Balinor joked. Sefa and Hunith laughed and the latter playfully slapped his husband’s shoulder.

“What are you planning on naming him?” Balinor asked as he marveled at his newborn son.

“I think I’ll call him ‘Merlin’.” Hunith said. Both of them could have sworn they saw Merlin smile in his sleep as a sign of his affirmation.

After spending a few more days in the hospital to take care of everything important, they finally brought little Merlin home. A ring of their doorbell suddenly surprised them that evening. Balinor opened the door and was greeted by two familiar faces.

“Balinor, old friend.” The man dressed in a brown suit greeted with a smile. The other simply gave him a warm smile.

Balinor smiled back “Kilgharrah! Gaius! It’s been a while! Do come in!” He invited them.

Hunith saw their visitors and immediately ran over to hug both of them.

“It’s so good to see you again after these past couple of years.” She said.

“We heard there has been an addition to your family recently.” Gaius said, smiling at the couple.

“You heard right.” Balinor told them. He showed them to Merlin’s nursery, where the infant was sleeping in his crib.

“Looks very much like Hunith.” Kilgharrah said.

“I think he took after Balinor.” Gaius replied.

They spent most of the evening catching up with each other. It wasn’t until Kilgharrah spoke of it that Balinor finally found out about their intentions.

“Balinor, we both know those flickering lights that night at the hospital wasn’t just caused by mere coincidence.” Kilgharrah said.

The entire room became quiet and everyone became serious.

“I know.” Balinor replied “It means my son’s a sorcerer just like me.”

Kilgharrah huffed out a laugh “Sorcerer? No, no, Balinor. Sorcerers learn magic. I don’t think that baby was scanning through spell-books the entire nine months. Your son is a warlock, an embodiment of magic itself.” He clarified.

“But that means—“ Hunith began

“He can use magic at will without the aid of any spell or incantation. He _is_ magic.” Gaius continued “It is a rare gift. One that is both beautiful and dangerous.”

“Which leads me to my next concern.” Kilgharrah continued to speak “Merlin’s the only one with such power. Power greater than all of the sorcerers’ magic combined. A seer has spoken to me of a prophecy. That a powerful boy born in the middle of June will bring about a Golden Age that will unite the entire world.”

Hunith and Balinor smiled as they were told of what their child is destined to be.

“However,” Kilgharrah’s face went dead serious “she also told me that destiny is not set in stone. Should something go wrong that will corrupt your son’s heart, there will be nothing but darkness.”

The couple immediately looked alarmed and worried.

“Do not worry.” Gaius comforted them “That is the reason of our return. We are here to ensure Merlin does not stray in his path.”

“As parents, it will be your responsibility to help him grow in kindness. When time comes for him to go to school, we will help him control his gifts. Magic, after all, is not properly accepted by most people.” Kilgharrah told them.

He then stood up, making the others stand up as well “Well then, we must be off.”

“We will keep in touch.” Gaius assured them.

They embraced and shook hands and then parted ways.

Hunith and Balinor stood by Merlin’s crib as they watched their son sleep.

“Are you sure we can handle this? We don’t even have any experience in raising a child, let alone a warlock who could probably cause a storm with a tantrum.” Balinor said.

“You doubt too much, dear. Trust me, we can make it through this if we trust in ourselves and in each other.” Hunith held his hand

“It’s not that I doubt us. I’m just worried for our child.” Balinor told her

They looked at Merlin who slowly rubbed his nose with his tiny, gloved hand in his sleep.

“But you’re right. We can and we will make it through. For Merlin.”

“For Merlin.” Hunith said softly.


	2. A Star Is Born

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balinor and Hunith find out the true extent of Merlin's powers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the beginning of my drastic rewrite. I hope I can update regularly. I wanted to develop Merlin's character since it plays an important role for the plot.

“Merlin!” Hunith called out as she chased after a rather energetic blur of white and brown  

“Stop running away. You need a bath! Oh, I should never have let you play outside. You made a mess of yourself!”

She reached the end of the hallway, where the mischievous blur seems to have mysteriously disappeared. She would have been fooled, had it not been for the tiny muddy footprints that ended at the corner and the not-so-subtle giggling coming from said area.

“Hmmm…” She said in false wonder “Where did he disappear to this time?” She looked around and slowly neared the corner. “Oh well, I guess I’ll look for him somewhere else.” She turned around as if to walk away.

The giggles became a bit more audible this time. Hunith took one step forward, then abruptly turned around and grabbed an invisible entity by the corner

“Gotcha!” Hunith said triumphantly.

Four-year-old Merlin materialized and burst out in fits of laughter. His once-pristine white t-shirt ruined with patches of mud. The same can be said with his navy blue shorts.

“Again! Again!” the little child joyfully pleaded.

“Not until we get you clean. You do know what happens to dirty kids when they don’t take a bath, don’t you?” Hunith asked her son.

“No. What happens?” Merlin replied with a shake of his head.

“Well, they get kidnapped by the dirty mud troll!”

“No!” Merlin’s eyes widened as he listened.

“Yes,” Hunith replied seriously, but was holding back a grin “And he’ll take them to his kingdom where they will be forced to eat dirty things and will not be allowed to see their parents!” She stood up “So do you want to stay dirty?”

“I’ll wash! I’ll wash!” Merlin jumped up and down, both arms raised as he reached for Hunith.

Hunith chuckled as she scooped up Merlin “Well then, let’s run you a bath, shall we?”

\-----------------------------------------

“Balinor, we need to talk.” Hunith told her husband after they both tucked Merlin in.

“What is it?” Balinor asked, concern taking over his face.

“Merlin turned invisible today!” She exclaimed quietly “That’s the fifth time this week!”

Balinor’s eyes widened “You can’t be serious?”

“I am! And he also turned the garden into some ethereal forest before I convinced him to bring the normal one back” Hunith countered

“I talked to Kilgharrah. He said only rarely are sorcerers able to turn themselves invisible without the aid of a potion or magical talisman.” Balinor informed his wife.

“I don’t know what to say to that.” Hunith replied

“I do,” Balinor answered “Our son’s a bloody prodigy!” He smiled proudly

\---------------------------------------   

On Merlin’s fifth birthday, Balinor and Hunith decided to host a small children’s party in their backyard. The place was filled with dragon-shaped balloons. There was a dragon-shaped piñata hanging nearby and a dragon-shaped cake was neatly placed at the center of the food-filled table.

“Festivities like these never fail to amaze me.” Kilgharrah said to Balinor. The party hat he wore looked out of place with his brown suit “And I’m assuming that, with all these decorations, the young warlock has a great liking to dragons.”

“He does.” Balinor looked fondly at his son, who was talking to Gaius and was evidently receiving a gift from the man, if the adorable ear to ear smile on his son’s face was anything to go by.

“Marvelous creatures, dragons were.” Kilgharrah stated “Of course, you already know that, don’t you, Balinor?”

Balinor simply nodded in response.

When it was time to sing Happy Birthday, the children all gathered around Merlin as he prepared to make a wish and blow the candles.

“Alright, dear, make a wish!” Hunith said as she held the video recorder.

Merlin momentarily closed his eyes then blew on the candles. However, instead of dying out, the fire from the candles grew in size and took the form of a two-feet long dragon, much to the horror of the nearby parents and children. Both of Gaius’s eyebrows shot up and Kilgharrah seemed to be laughing.

“Wow!” Merlin cried out in joy “This is amazing!”

The dragon continued to soar above the yard before heading upwards. It breathed one last jet of fire and disappeared.  
“Well, now we know what he wished for.” Gaius told Hunith and Balinor, who were momentarily frozen in shock.

“Best. Birthday. Ever!” Merlin cried out excitedly.

“I concur with the young warlock.” Kilgharrah grinned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like it? Hate it? Don't be afraid to comment, I don't bite (most of the time, muwahahahahahaha)


End file.
